Refrigerator cabinet breaker strip



July 15, 1958 J. w. PULASKI 2,843,286

- REFRIGERATOR CABINET BREAKER STRIP Filed June 27, 1956 mmvroxf 7 JOHN w. PULASKI ms ATTORNEY United States Patent REFRIGERATQR CABINET BREAKER STRIP John W. Pulaski, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 27, 1956, Serial No. 594,188

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) The present invention relates to a refrigerator cabinet breaker strip and more particularly to a breaker strip construction for bridging the opening between the inner and outer shells of a refrigerator cabinet.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved breaker strip which can be quickly and easily snapped into position between the inner and outer shells of the refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinet construction including an improved resilient breaker strip having a construction such that by engagement with portions of the inner and outer cabinet shells, the breaker strip maintains itself in operative position.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed outwith particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator cabinet comprising spaced inner and outer shells defining a storage compartment having an access opening at the front of the compartment. The outer shell has an inwardly extending flange around the access opening and this flange defines a portion of the cabinet face. The inner shell forming the cabinet liner has its forward marginal edge reverse bent to form a flange positioned rearwardly of the flange on the outer shell and including a first flat section extending outwardly towards the outer shell and a second flat section extending rearwardly from the first section. The space between the inner and outer shells around the access opening is bridged by a resilient, flexible breaker strip composed of insulating material and having a generally right angle cross section. The breaker strip includes a front face forming the remaining portion of the cabinet face surrounding the access opening and a side face extending perpendicularly to the front face into contact with the marginal edge of the inner shell or liner. This side face terminates in a laterally extending section overlying the outwardly extending first section of the inner shell flange and contacting this first section only adjacent its inner portion or edge. Another section of the breaker extending rearwardly from the laterally extending section contacts the second portion of the inner shell flange. The front face of the breaker strip includes an offset edge defining a first surface or shoulder which contacts the inner edge of the inwardly extending flange on the outer shell and a second surface or tongue extending along and in contact with the rear surface of the outer shell flange.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view, partially in section, of a refrigerator cabinet including the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View along line 22 of Fig. 1 illustrating one modification of the present invention; and

Patented July 15, 1958 Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing an alternate form of breaker strip embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet including an outer shell or case 1 and a spaced inner shell or liner 2 forming a refrigerator storage compartment having an access opening at the front thereof closed by a door 3. In accordance with the usual practice, the space between the inner and outer shells 1 and 2 is filled with suitable heat insulating material 4 and as the inner and outer shells 1 and 2 are normally composed of metal, their marginal edges surrounding the access opening to the storage compartment are spaced from one another to prevent substantial heat leakage from the cooled inner shell 2 to the outer shell or case 1.

This space between the inner and outer shells surrounding the access opening is bridged by a breaker strip 5 which in accordance with the present invention is composed of a resilient, flexible material having poor heat conducting properties. This breaker strip and the adjacent or mating portions of the inner and outer shells 1 and 2 are so constructed and arranged that the breaker strip can be readily snapped into operative position between the two shells and maintained in operative position by its resiliency.

To obtain these results, the outer shell 1 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 7 forming a portion of the cabinet face surrounding the access opening to the storage compartment. The inner shell or liner 2 has its forward marginal edge reverse bent to form a flange spaced rearwardly of the flange 7 on the outer shell 1 and including a first flat section 9 extending normal to the inner shell and outwardly towards the outer shell 1 and a second portion 10 extending rearwardly from the first portion 9 in substantially parallel relationship with the adjacent portion of the shell 2. It will be understood of course that the inner and outer shells 1 and 2 are supported in spaced relationship by bracket or brace means (not shown) in accordance with the usual practices in the refrigerator cabinet art. i i

The improved breaker strip of the present invention which is adapted to bridge the space between the flange 7 and the inner liner 2 comprises a front face portion 12 and a side face portion 14 extending at generally right angles to the front face 12 when the breaker strip is in its assembled position between the inner and outer shells.

The breaker strip 5 is preferably molded from a suitable resilient, resinous, heat insulating material 'and in its original or molded form the angle between the face portion 12 and the side portion 14 of the breaker strip is preferably a few degrees larger than in its assembled position.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the means for holding or anchoring the breaker strip 5 in selfsupporting or anchoring position between the inner and outer shells comprises a bifurcated lateral edge 16 on the front face forming portion 12, one tongue 17 of which overlies the front of the flange 7 and the other tongue 18 of which extends along and in contact with the rear surface of the outer shell flange 7. The tongue 18 is offset from the main portion of the front face 12 to provide a shoulder 19 which engages the lateral edge of the flange 7 when the breaker strip is in position.

The edge of the side face 14 of the breaker strip terminates in a laterally extending section 22 overlying the first section 9 of the inner shell flange and a rearwardly extending section 23 contacting the second portion 10 of the inner shell flange. As shown in Fig. 2, the laterally extending section 22 is also provided with a shoulder 24 on the surface thereof facing the flange section 9 in order that the breaker strip section 22 will contact the flange portion 9 only along the inner edge of the flange 9, i. e., adjacent the main body of shell 2.

This construction of the cabinet shells and breaker strip provides a structure which permits the breaker strip to be readily snapped into position where it bridges the space between the inner and outer shells of the refrigerator cabinet and Where it is firmly held in position by its own resiliency "and the particular bearing points between the breaker strip and the inner and outer shells.

As previously indicated, the breaker strip in its normal or as-molded shape is provided with an angle between the front and side faces 12 and 14 which is slightly greater 7 than the angle which the strip will assume in its assembled or operating position. This configuration is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, In assembling the breaker strip on the cabinet the bifurcated edge 16 is first brought into engagement with theflange 7 after which the rearwardly extending section 23 of the breaker strip is slid onto the surface of the outwardly extending flange section 9 of the inner shell. Pressure is then applied to the side face 14 of the breaker strip in order to slide the portion 23 along the surface of the section 9 to a point Where it drops into position behind and in contact with the portion of the inner shell flange. As the section 23 moves rearwardly along the flat section 10 of the inner shell flange, the shoulder 24 comes in contact with the outwardly extending section 9 of the flange so that the only contacts between the breaker strip 5 and the inner shell 2 are at the point where the shoulder 24 touches the shell and at the tip of the rearwardly extending breaker strip section 23. By a configuration giving these points of contacts, the breaker strip is resiliently held in its operating position by forces which do not tend to dislodge either of the anchored edge portions of the breaker strip.

The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is generallly similar to that shown in Fig. 2 with the exception that the face portion 12a of the breaker strip and the flange 7 of the outer shell form a continuous flat surface. This flat surface is of an advantage on the hinge side of a refrigerator cabinet where the gasket normally provided on the door and adapted to come into sealing engagement with the face of the cabinet tends to rub or slide in this area. To avoid substantial wear on the gasket it is desirable that this portion of the cabinet present a smooth surface for gasket contact. Therefore in the modification shown in Fig. 3 the face 12:; of the breaker strip 5a is secured or anchored only by means of an off set edge defining a surface 26 contacting the inner edge of the flange 7 and a tongue 27 extending along and in contact with the rear surface of the outer shell flange 7. The engaging or contact points for this breaker strip are the shoulder 26 and the tongue 27 contacting the flange 7 and the shoulder 24 and rearwardly extending section 23 engaging the flange on the inner liner or shell 2.

While there has been shown and described specific modifications and embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and described and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A refrigerator cabinet comprising spaced inner and outer shells defining a storage compartment having an access opening at the front thereof, said outer shell having an inwardly extending flange around said access opening and defining a portion of the cabinet face, the marginal edge of said inner shell being reverse bent to form a flange rearwardly of said flange on said outer shell and including a first flat section extending normal to said inner shell outwardly towards said outer shell and a second flat section extending rearwardly from said first section and substantially parallel to the adjacent portion of said shell, and a resilient, flexible breaker strip of insulating material bridging the space between said shells, said breaker strip being of generally right angle cross-section and including a front face forming the remaining portion of the cabinet face and a side face extending perpendicularly from said front face into contact with the marginal edge of said inner shell, said side face including a laterally extending section overlying said first section of said inner shell flange and contacting said first section only adjacent the inner edge thereof and a rearwardly extending section terminating in contact with only said second flat section of said inner shell flange, said front face of said breaker strip including an offset edge defining a first surface contacting the inner edge of said inwardly extending flange on said outer shell and a tongue extending along and in contact with the rear surface of said outer shell flange.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said front face of said breaker strip includes a portion overlying the front surface of said inwardly extending flange on said outer shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

